INDIANAPOLIS – Kyle Larson was hoping for another win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May, but the driver of the No. 5 entry parked his car in victory lane at the Brickyard 400. In impressive fashion, Larson took the win in the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Fan Appreciation colors that he was scheduled to wear in the Coca-Cola 600.
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Although the day ended with a win, Sunday afternoon’s main event did not start as planned: after a runner-up finish in the opening stage, the team experienced an issue with a nut on the right-side tire during a pit stop on lap 70. The issue caused the team to lose track position and finish Stage 2 in 20th place.
As the race unfolded and various strategies came and went, Larson pitted for four tires and fuel under the green flag on lap 123. The caution flag came out the same lap after crossing the commitment line, allowing Larson to restart in 23rd place (but on the lead lap) when the race resumed. With fresh tires and a full tank of fuel, the 31-year-old driver worked his way up to third place before the caution flag came out with three laps to go. Despite the red flag on the first NASCAR overtime restart, Larson held off Ryan Blaney on the final restart to win the Brickyard 400.
The win marks Larson’s third career premier race victory. The Elk Grove, California, native won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2021 and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 2022, and now also has a Brickyard 400 victory. If he wins the season-opening Daytona 500, Larson will have won all four premier races.
“Our team did a great job,” said Larson, who climbed out of his car at the start-finish line. “We never gave up. We had some pit stop issues early on. We just fought and fought and got it sorted out. I can’t thank them enough. Thanks also to Hendrickcars.com, Valvoline, Chevrolet, JINYA Ramen Bar, Prime and the fans. Love you, Indiana fans.”
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Chase Elliott led the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to the finish line in 10th place in Sunday afternoon’s main event. Elliott, who started third, received a pass-through penalty for running onto the race course between Turns 1 and 2 after pitting under the green flag in Stage 1. The issue led to an alternate fuel strategy being implemented for Stages 2 and 3.
Like Larson, Elliott was on pit road on Lap 123 and was able to complete his service without a lap delay, but he struggled in traffic while trying to move up the pack, ultimately earning the team’s 11th top-10 finish of 2024.
Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Arai Racing team finished the 400-mile main event in 31st place after being involved in an on-track accident during the first overtime restart. The accident caused several cars to hit the inside wall and slide up the track, trapping Bowman in the first corner. Prior to the accident, the team had placed 7th in the opening segment and earned stage points.
William Byron finished the main event in 38th place after being involved in an on-track accident on lap 75. The team also earned stage points with a 4th place finish in Stage 1.
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Sunday’s main event was the final race before the Cup Series takes a two-week break from racing, with the tour resuming at Richmond Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 11. It will air on USA Network, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) beginning at 6 PM ET.
